Cutting apparatus for harvesters.



PATENTBD JAN'. a, 1907.v4

APLIOATION FILED SEPT. 7.19.05.

- Witnesses* A r Attorneys UIIIIIEI)4 STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. RODMAN, OF SHERARD, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO JOHNSHERARD, OF SHERARD, MISSISSIPPI.

CUTTING APPARATUS FOR HARVESTERS...

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

Application filed September 7,1905. Serial No. 277.338.

Mississip i, have invented a new and useful Cutting pparatus forHarvesters, of which the following is as ecification.

This invention re ates to cutting apparatus for mowing-machines andother harvesters, and it has particular reference tov that class whichis known as endless cutting apparatus, the same consisting of an endlesschain e ui yped with cutters or cutting-blades w ic under theconstruction ofthe resent invention are made to coperate wit each otherin thev sense that the cutters borne by the upper lead of the endlesschain are made to cooperate with the cutters borne by the lower lead ofsaid chain.

The objects of the present invention are to simplify and improve theconstruction and o eration of this class of devices and with t ese andother ends in view, which will readily appear as the nature of theinvention is better understood, the same consists in the improved.construction and novel arrangement and` combination of parts, whichwill be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in theclaim.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the recise structural details'therein exhibited,but that changes, alterations, and modifications within the scope of theinvention may be made when desired.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a cutting apparatusconstructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. Fig. 2is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional viewenlarged. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view of one of the links of theendless chain and a blade or cutter detached from said link.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout bysimilar characters of reference.

A driven shaft 1, which is'supported for rotation in the machine towhich the invention is applied, supports an arm 2, the outer extremityof which carries the cutter-bar 3, which is bolted to or otherwisesuitably connected therewith. The cutter-bar supports a housing composedoftwo'forwardly-extending s aced plates 4 and4 5, the forward edges of wich are provided with flanges 6 and 7', which are spaced so as to formbetween said flanges a slot 8. The ends of the housingplates 4 and 5 areoffset or beveled, as shown at 9.

Uponv the inner end of the cutter-bar is supported a bracket member 10,having studs or pintles 11, one above and theother below the cutter-bar,upon each of whichv studs is journaled a guide-roller 12. Anotherbracket member 13 is secured upon and extends outwardly from the outerend of the cutter-bar, said bracket member having pintles 14, upon whichguide-rollers 15 are supported for rotation, one above and the otherbelow the cutter-bar. The bracket member 13 is extended beyondtherollers 15 and is provided with a longitudinal slot 16, in which issecured an adjustable intle 17, disposed intermediate the planes of) therollers 15 and carrying a tightening-wheel 18, the lower edge of whichis below the horizontal plane of the cutter-bar and in approximatealinement with the lower edges of the lower guide members 12 and 15.Asprocketwheel 19 is secured upon the shaft 1 1n alinement with thetightening-wheel 18 and with its lower edge in the horizontal plane ofthe lower edge of the wheel 18.

A chain C of suitable length' is made up of a plurality ofcutter-carrying links 20, each of which .is provided witha.sprocketengaging aperture 21, a cross-bar 22, spaced from the body ofthe link by lugs 23, and a hook mem-- ber 24, adapted to engage thecross-bar of the next adjoining link. Each link is rovided with a recess25 for the reception o the inner end of a blade or cutter 26, which issecured in said recess by rivets or other suitable means in s uch amanner as to be flush with the inner surface of the link-that is to say,the surface which faces the op osite lead of the chain. This chain isguided over the sprocket-wheel 19 and the tightening-wheel 18 betweentheguide-pulleys 11 and 15 and between the housinglates 4 and 5 in such amanner that the bla es will project through the slot'8 between theilanges 6 and 7 of said housing-plates, as will be clearly seen byreference to Fig. 3 of the drawings. Each of the blades is provided withan oblique cutting edge 27.

IOO

tion will be readily understood vby thoseskilled in the art to which itappertains. The construction is simple and inexpensive, and the deviceis simple and practical in operation.

The supporting-shaft 1 is not necessarily a driven shaft, as stated atthe outset 5 but it may be in the nature of a supporting-shaft only, inwhich event it follows that motion will be transmitted from some drivenart of the machine with which the device 1s connected direct to thesprocket-wheel 19. The latter has been shown as provided with a flange30 to obviate any possibility of the cutter-carrying chain being pushedout of engagement with said sprocket-wheel.

By loosening the pintle which carries the chain-guiding wheel 18 thelatter may be moved in an inward direction, thus slackening the chainand permitting links to be removed from the latter when necessary for repairs, sharpening of the blades, or other reasons.

The beveled or offset en ds 9 of the housingplates will guide thechain-links in connection with the guide-rollers 12 and 15 so as toavoid any possibility of the links sticking or hanging at these points.

By locating guide-pulleys, as 12 12 and 15 15, respectively, above andbelow or adjacent to the u per and lower sides of the cutter-bar and byocating the s rocket-wheels 18 and 19 with their lower e ges below theplane of the cutter-bar the cutter-carrying chain will be guided morenearly in a straight line and without sudden sharp twists anddeflections,

such as would necessarily occur if supportingpulleys for the chain orsprockets for said chain were supported above or adjacent to one side ofthe cutter-bar only. This obviously is an advantage, inasmuch as itreduces the liability of strain and breakage.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- A cuttingapparatus for harvesters comprising a cutter-bar havingforwardly-extending housing-plates provided with spaced iianges andbeveled ends, bracket members connected with the ends of the cutter-bar,a pair of rollers supported upon each bracket member, one roller of eachpair being above and one below the cutter-bar and adjacent to thebeveled ends of the housing-plates, a chain-tightening wheel supportedadjustably by the bracket member at one end of the cutter-bar, a pintlesupporting said wheel and being adj ustably attached to the said bracketmember and being adapted to be moved in a line midway of the centers ofthe pairs of rollers, the lower edge of said tightening-wheel beingbelow the cutter-bar and in approxi mate alinement with the lower edgeof the lower rollers, a supportingsbar connected with the inner end ofthe cutter-bar, a shaft extending through said bar, a sprocket-wheelsupported for rotation upon said shaft with its lower edge insubstantial alinement with the lower edges of the lower rollers, and acutter-carrying chain supported by the sprocket-wheel and thetightening-wheel, the links of said chain being guided between theguide-rollers and between the housing-plates connected with thecutterebar.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. RODMAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN Ivm ALPHIN, RALPH B. PETTY.

